folding knife advice

B

boogeyman

New member
I've found myself with a renewed interest in folding knives. If you could clear up a couple of things since I'm still a newb. I'm looking for a folding knife that has around a 3" blade and no greater than a 4" handle (it should be able to dissapear in a relatively small pocket) so the handle must be thin. The knife is going to be both an EDC and a boat knife. With that being said, I think that the blade should be made of S30V. Would the spyderco native fit the bill? Also, should it be smooth or combo edged? I don't anticipate cutting rope or anything (but it does happen), truth be told I don't want to sharpen a serrated blade. If someone has better advice than S30V than by all means suggest it. Also, I'd like to keep the knife under $100 since it could be dropped into the deep blue.
 
Kershaw

I'm a big fan of Cold Steel knives. But I just bought 2 lockblades by Kershaw, designed by Ken Onion, they are really nice. One is kind of small, maybe 3" open with a smooth blade. I got it for my dad. The one I got is 6" open with about a 2 3/4" blade with a combo edge, sharp as a razor! Nice & thin too. The coolest part about them is the "assisted" open feature:eek: . There is some kind of cam or something inside, just push a little nub on the back of the blade and it flys open quick, a lot like a switchblade. Good for quick access.;)
 
Easy....

....the Gerber Parafarame ll. It's what I use in a daily basis. I've owned it for about a year now and it has taking a beating and it still looks new. I have the one with the titanium nitrade coating.
 
I am a big fan of Spyderco, I like to be able to hold something in one hand and be able to open my Knife and cut something with the other. I only use a serrated edge and I sharpen it with ceramics. This is my work knife.

25
 
I usually wear a shirt and tie to work and the knife I like to carry is a Gerber LT (I think it is actually 3 letters LT something). 3 inch blade, no belt clip, about the same length and width of a bic lighter but real thin, less than a half an inch. It is real lightweight too, you can slip it into your pocket and forget about it, yet easy to pull and open with one hand. You can buy them for about $20.
 
If you like Spyderco, look no farther than the Delica, or if size allows, the Endura. The also have the extremely corrosion resistant "Salt" series, which are purpose built for the marine environment.

I prefer the combo edges, sharpening them on the Spyderco isnt difficult, and for lines and heavy material the serrations cannot be beat.
 
If you're going to be operating around rope in a marine envionment, look at the Spyderco Harpy. Do get the serrated edge, and ceramic sticks will work on the serrations.

I've carried Spyderco knives since they first appeared. At that time, the pocket clip was formed from the scale of the knife, as an integral piece. I carried a Standard until it was lost in a blizzard while operating at a building collapse in 1993-94. I bought another Standard, and it's sitting on my hip as I write this. The closest thing to the Standard today is the Delica II. At a 2 5/8" blade, and all stainless construction, it's as close to indestructible as you'll get for under $50.00:)
 
Boat Knife

I sail a lot. I have a Buck cross lock that can be opened one handed, has a liner lock and has two blades, a blade and a tool. Each blade has a different serration on the back so you can tell which you are opening without looking. Only works for righties though. Also have a David Boye dendritic, cobalt carbide knife which has the sharpest durable edge I have ever used.
Good luck.
 
I too am a big fan of the Kershaw leek knives from Ken Onion, and also
the Voyager from Cold Steel. I use one or the other on a daily
basis, and I have NO complaints. Both, are razor sharp~!:D
 
Ya know fellers (as he prepares to be laughed off the planet), I must be an older, set-in-my-ways fart than I thought, because after all these years, I still prefer and carry my trusty old Buck folding hunter in a belt holster. It's never failed me, and the folks at Buck are the greatest to deal with (at least they were and I hope they still are; been awhile). Bench Made, Cold Steel, all great knives, but a little too pricey for my taste. I don't want a knife that I'm afraid to use in rough conditions for fear of a second mortgage to replace it. And while I can't really explain it, those that have SWAT, or Special Forces, or Black Ops, etc. on the blade absolutely drive me nuts! Yep, give me a plain Jane, un-tacticool Buck every time.
 
I carry a Kershaw every day. I find it to be a slim and durable knife and is FAST on the openning thanks to the SpeedSafe feature. Note, it is NOT a switchblade as the blade is openned by pressing directly on the blade, not on a button or actuating device.
 
cheers for Capt. Charlie

:D Buck knives are inexpensive, relative to some of the stuff out there, but they'll last forever. I'll join you as we get laughed off the planet because *I* don't know the acronym EDC.

Springmom the old fart #2
 
Benchmade 710. If you're cutting rope, get the combo plane (half plane, half serrated). Its one of my EDC's along with the shorter, less expensive BM 551S and CRKT M16-13.
 
one word: SWAT. sorry charlie, had to to it. my smith-wesson swat is the shiznit. its just a name for this model, like BM 551S or M16-13 or any other name they give a knife. it's just easier to say. that said, my swat is 440 surgical stainless blade and handle. no liner as the handle is the liner and the lock is a frame lock as opposed to a liner lock. 1/4 inch thick excluding the pocket clip. paid $35 bucks for the midsize swat with a 3+ inch blade, then found his big brother with a 4+ inch blade at a gunshow for $30 bucks. doesn't break the bank so go ahead and drop them into the deep blue.

crappy camera/phone pic so please forgive the low res.
http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=swswat15kg.jpg

i never liked serrated blades and tend to feel they are for only good if you don't know how to sharpen a blade. i don't have time to sharpen all those little cresents so after sharpening a serrated blade everyday for a couple months, a serrated blade becomes a smooth blade anyways.
 
If you plan to cut a lot of really big synthetic rope, (like, over 2" diamter) then I agree the serrated edge will be better. But if this is more of a "general purpose" folder and the rope is only occasionally, then I'd say go with the straight edge. It will work better for darn near everything else provided you keep it sharp, and that is much easier to do with a straight edge.
 
You will not go wrong with anything by Spyderco or Benchmade. I cannot decide which I like more.

I am partial to the Benchmade Mini Griptilian, but it does not have a slim handle -- more of a hand-filling one.

The Spyderco Para Military may be of the dimensions you are looking for. I have one and really like it, but I don't carry it. (It's tucked away as a treasure. And it's about $100 or so and I don't like using knives that cost that much.) I can't remember the dimensions.

Check out websites like KnifeCenter.com for good deals and quality merchandise. (That's a very searchable site, too. That's part of why I like it. Prices there are okay.)

The Benchmade Ascent series might do you. I think they make them in Taiwan but still of very good quality. (They are mostly American-made, but now Benchmade has a line of foreign-made econo-knives.)

Don't bother with serrations. I hate them. I liked combo-edged knives for a while, and now I go for straight. Like you, I hate sharpening serrations. HATE it. And you get such better, cleaner cuts with straight plain edges.

If this will be a boat knife, near water (particularly salt water), consider the Benchmade SALT. They now have a couple of different ones, I think.


-blackmind
 
The colombia river knife[edit] and tool company makes some great knives, I started carring one when my kershaw wore out.

Currently I carry the M16-14LE, quick to open, nice looks and tough sharp blade. Its pretty big but thay have smaller sizes.
 
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